Byfuglien lifts Jets past Red Wings

Dustin Byfuglien scored the game-winner with 6:45 remaining as the visiting Winnipeg Jets edged the struggling Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Friday.

Byfuglien scored his second goal of the season when he skated in along the right side and beat Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard with a shot that glanced off Howard’s glove and fluttered just under the crossbar.

Brandon Tanev and Ben Chiarot were credited with assists on Byfuglien’s tally. Kyle Connor had the other Jets goal with assists from Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele.

Laurent Brossoit made 27 saves for Winnipeg.

Andreas Athanasiou scored the lone Detroit goal with assists from Frans Nielsen and Dennis Cholowski. Howard made 38 saves but the Red Wings

have won just one of their first 10 games.

Detroit outshot Winnipeg 14-9 in the opening period and took a 1-0 lead.

The Wings applied steady pressure in the early going and broke through during a power play at the 15:27 mark.

Jacob Trouba was whistled for interference against Athanasiou to give Detroit a man advantage. Athanasiou scored the goal while Cholowski gave him a perfect feed from the point. Athanasiou ripped a slapshot from the right circle that beat Brossoit on the glove side.

Darren Helm nearly made it 2-0 later in the period when his blast banged off the post.

Winnipeg controlled the second period with a 21-4 shots advantage and it knotted the score at 1-all.

Early in the period, Athanasiou got off a shot similar to one he scored on but this time Brossoit made a pad save.

Howard made back-to-back stops against Bryan Little midway through the period. With four minutes left in the period, Howard robbed Little once again with a glove save on a point-blank shot.

Winnipeg received its third power-play opportunity of the period when Tyler Bertuzzi was called for hooking Little. Howard saved a Wheeler shot but Wheeler dug the puck out from behind the net and Connor shoveled in a backhander. Connor’s fifth goal of the season came at the 16:14 mark.

–Field Level Media